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Pickpocketed in Hanoi

Never been pickpocketed before today. We were staying at the Metropole in Hanoi, as was the president of Argentina and her entourage. The presidential visit turned the lobby into a madhouse with screening equipment, press, and wall to wall people. I paid the bill and decided to go to the Citibank ATM next door to get more dong since we were leaving for Hue. From the ATM went straight to the hotel room to finish packing. When the time came to divide up the money with DH, my wallet was not in the large purse I was carrying. I assumed that I absentmindedly set it down in the room or packed it. Took everything apart, not a trace. The hotel sent up staff to check the room. Nothing. Rechecked the luggage when we arrived in Hue. Nothing. Checked with Citibank before we left. Nothing. There was a rather shady looking gent in the elevator with me on the way to the room. It was just the two of us. Wonder if he helped himself while we were waiting for the elevator or inside the elevator?

Thanks for the support! I am a great believer in diversification of holdings in both the stock market and when traveling, so the thief didn't wipe us out. I do always keep the wallet with limited contents in a zipped pocket but since I was just walking across the hotel lobby to the elevator I didn't bother. Stupid, stupid, as the Europe forum would say.

Hmmm, about 5 years ago someone tried to knick my wallet just outside that same hotel. Caught him though, made a big fuss about it and then a lady came over and beat him with a broom. So sorry to hear that happened to you; no worries though, he'll get a broom taken to him eventually.

Guess I should get the broom for letting my guard down! I was so pleased with my new travel bag which I wore strapped across my chest. But that made me less attuned to the independent life my bag was leading. I was lucky the guy didn't grab the entire bag when he got off the elevator. That would have left us without passports which had just been removed from the safe since we were leaving.

You were lucky that you weren't injured. Years ago my parents were on a tour in Madrid when a purse snatcher grabbed a pocketbook, knocking of an elderly woman who, as a result, broke her hip. The loss of money should be your greatest loss. Sure does put a damper on things though.

I appreciate that I was very lucky since with just two of us in the elevator he could have roughed me up trying to take the entire bag. This was a very minor blip in a great trip. I'm even beginning to feel less stupid since even if I had noticed what was happening, once we were in the elevator I didn't have many options.

I have sensed a certain 'us vs them' attitude in VN. The tourists, us, got the money and the locals don't but want it. Maybe it has something to do with the various colonial powers and other westerners who did not do right in VN, earlier times. I had my camera stolen by hotel staff, no question. This after in the hotel for 10 days, sharing the New Year chickens and practicing my mandarin with the staff. Lots of photos of a good trip, gone. Takes a while to rid the self of bitterness and hope the boy can read the manual i left for him.

Regarding the supposed "Us vs Them attitude" and how foreigners are treated in Hanoi, a friend and I got on a city bus filled with young people to overflowing. Both she, about 50 and I, somewhat older, were tapped on our arms by young men and given their seats. I was so astonished I didn't realize for a moment what was going on. That has never happened to me before anywhere else on the planet.

Us vs them attitude!! unbeleivable! have never experienced anything other than exceptional hospitality. The theft of a camera can hardly be compared to decades of extremely cruel French colonialism followed by the deaths of an estimated 4 million people in the American war. With that history, the Vietnamese ability to forgive and forget has always amazed me.

The Vietnamese are lovely people. We were surprised by their warm demeanor, given the fact that we were there in a war we had no business being in. We have never experienced such hospitality as we found in our hotels.

We found nothing but a huge welcome and friendliness from local people in Vietnam. Sadly petty thieves operate in all big cities, they are not symbolic of the culture of the rest of the law abiding citizens. An "us versus them" thought never entered our head in the three weeks we were in Vietnam.

I was pickpocketed in Madrid on the first day of arrival and that really dampened my spirit for the entire trip. Eversince then I wear my money belt inside my clothes which isn't attractive and I don't care.

@mohan - under your clothes is where your money belt is SUPPOSED to be. You put it there in the morning and don't touch it again until you take it off at night - it is NOT a substitute for a wallet, you should be carrying the day's cash elsewhere. If it looks bad you may have too much in it - just passport, cards, cash - or try wearing it with the pouch at the back.

Hi happened to us in Hanoi recently, lost a phone and a camera,didn't,t feel a thing. Except anger at loosing the precious photographs from Hanoi and Halong Bay, hey such is life did rather spoil the first trip to Vietnam though. We both felt terribly nervous walking round the streets after.

Sorry that you were a victim too. But, as you say, on the scale of bad things that can happen on a vacation, this is just a minor blip. Hope you enjoyed your trip! I always felt safe on the streets in Vietnam. It's the elevator that was my downfall.

I tell this story every now and then, as it is a good reminder for me as I head out to Asia this week. I met a friend on my first day in Hong Kong, after stopping by my favorite bank to change money. I got enough for the weekend, and so that I could pick up some pearls, which was one of the special things I wanted for myself on that trip. We went to Toys'R'Us at the Ocean Terminal, then headed for coffee. I had my money at the store, but in the short time it took to get upstairs to the coffee shop, my money was taken. Neither my friend nor I could figure out where along the way I could have been pickpocketed -- the thief was so good! I was so depressed at the large amount taken (more than I would ever normally carry) that it nearly ruined my trip. After Hong Kong, I headed to Singapore and Thailand. Ended up having a great time, but never did get my pearls!

Well dressed thieves do frequent high end locales such as the Metropole where we also stayed.. I remember one who was caught in Chicago who said she always wore Chanel suits when working the high end hotel elevators.
We have been robbed while traveling internationally, Italy and Chile, and it is such an inconvenience, passports, credit cards and all. Glad you were able to continue having a wonderful trip. We also thought the Vietnamese people were very welcoming.